Chinese Dwarf Hamster

Question
Hi! I have a male Chinese dwarf hamster and he has been losing a little bit of hair. I can see it in his wheel and I was wondering if anything was wrong with him or if you had solutions? One other thing is... when you hamster's nails get to long do their fingers get swollen? Get back soon! Thanks! :)

Answer
Hi Julia

Thanks for your question.

You haven't said how old your hamster is.  Often their fur can go a bit thin when they start to reach old age - around 2 years.  Also, sometimes their toe nails can overgrow as they get older and these can be trimmed using nail clippers, but be careful you don't cut the nails too short or they will bleed.  The hamsters toes should not be swollen.  How long are his nails?  Are they curling and piercing the skin at all?  Is there any sign of injury - has he ripped a nail?  If so, then bathe the area in warm salt water to prevent infection.  If there is damage it should heal on its own, but if it does infect and there is clearly pus/swelling then antibiotics might be needed.  It is difficult to know what has happened without actually seeing him, I'm afraid.  It would be worth examining the area to see if you can get a better idea of what is wrong.

Apart from this how is he?  Is he eating/playing normally?  Is he still active?

I hope this helps you.

Regards
Sheila